MandukaPROlite Yoga Mat - Teacher Recommended, Non-Slip Textured 4.7mm Ultra-Dense, Hot Yoga Workout, Studio at Home Pilates

This is a great yoga mat (Pro Lite), it is well worth the money if you can put the hours on the mat with some time to "season" it. As you unroll it, you will need to rub it with coarse sea salt and let it sit for 24 hours on a hard flat surface and / or let it sit in the sun for a few hours, according to the Manduka website. This mat is VERY slippery upon first unroll but after season, it got a little better and is continuing to get better over time. My yoga teacher has had hers for nearly a decade and hers is still in amazing condition with even better grip.In the photos, you can see my older Natural Tree Rubber Mat from Manduka laid on top of the pro lite and it was a normal yoga mat size. I am not a tall person by any means (about 5’ 10”) but I had to be exactly in place or my head/feet would be hanging off. This new Pro Lite (which you can see underneath) is significantly longer without taking up my whole room. I honestly don't think I would need anything longer or wider, not for the substantial price jump at least. I love this mat because it doesn't make my hands smell like that weird rubber glove smell like my old one did. This mat doesn't move on the floor thanks to the circled grips on the bottom. My favorite aspect of this mat is because it is closed cell technology which means dog hair splinters and other fibers don't get stuck inside the mat and poke you in the back during savasana or other floor poses. I would recommend using Manduka brand cleaning spray after use to maintain the integrity of the mat. I have been a Manduka fan for a long time and this was a great addition.TL:DRThis is a great mat that will last you forever IF you practice on it a lot or season it with salt scrub.

Amazing, amazing, amazing!! I have heard such great things about Manduka yoga mats, that when my company said they would reimburse employees for fitness equipment, my first thought was to get one of these babies! I chose the 71" Midnight Blue Manduka Pro Lite honestly just because it was within the reimbursement budget, but also because it is a great color. I love how it is made from recycled materials and champions an eco-friendly lifestyle. It is a great width and weight, and nice and grippy! In terms of use, I sweat a lot, and when I say a lot, I mean A LOT. This does a really good job of preventing slip, but also at a certain point, no mat will ever stop someone who is straight up liquid, so be realistic with your expectations (i.e. I still find it slips sometimes). Also note that I tend to use my mat on carpet, and if you were to use it on hard flooring, the mat would be even grippier and I don't think I would have issues slipping at all!On maintenance - Manduka recommends you sprinkle a bunch of salt on your mat when you first get it to help "break it in." Who was I to question the natural and earthy powers of the great salt break in??? Who was I to place myself above the experts of Manduka????? I decided to heed their advice. With all the passion and excitement of unleashing my mat's true potential, I shook shook shook my salt shaker above its gleaming surface. I patiently waited, attune to my mat's needs. After 24 hours passed, I returned to my mat, ready to welcome it into its new form. But wait - I encountered a dilemma. How exactly, were I to lift this 71" rubber serpent from the ground?? How were I to safely deposit those millions of shaken salt crystals from my mat's plane??? Now let us pause and note that this would not have been as arduous of a task if I had not decided to complete the great salt shake in my carpeted bedroom. Alas, my decision had already been made, my ship set on its course. With all the great balance and coordination of an amateur yoga practitioner, I raised the sides of my mat, dragging it to my bathroom. Allthewhile, I sensed myself losing thousands of salt crystal souls on the way. After patiently attempting to contain the briny gems, I finally heaved my rubber flag over the bathtub and shook shook shook as best I could, to remove the salty deposits. Yet again, I found myself tormented. This mat is praised for its grip, its hold, its strength. And so the salt remained. Defeated, I climbed into the bathtub, swallowed my pride, and brushed each individual crystal from my mat's surface. To this day, I still find memories of the past clinging to my mat - small sodium chloride diamond reminders of heroes come and gone.So overall, I think you could probably break this in without having to salt it, unless you really really wanted to. Awesome addition to any exercise routine!!

Before buying this mat I had used 2 cheap foam mats over the course of 14 months, attending class 5 days/week. The cheap foam wore out where I put my hands/feet after just a week of use, and the mats were so lightweight they would move when I'd jump into a pose. Needless to say, I have been thrilled with the performance of this Manduka mat! It feels solid beneath me, while still giving a supportive cushion and NEVER moves when I change poses. After 3 months of use, it hasn't shown any signs of wearing down where my hands and feet go. I sweat profusely and have always used Yogitoes mat towels on top of my mats, and they still work great on top of this one.I was debating between either this mat or one of the Jade mats that my studio sells, but what deterred me from Jade was seeing mats of other students/instructors in various stages of being worn out after only months of use, and seeing the little bits of rubber stuck all over people's sweaty skin and scattered all over the floor as they deteriorated. Also, I have heard that the Jade mats start to break down when left in the sun, and I always leave my mat in the back seat of my car (the Manduka has given me no problems being locked in my hot car). For the price of these mats, I wanted one that was going to last me more than a year or two before demanding to be replaced and I'm confident that I've found that with the Manduka, since it's backed with a lifetime guarantee.UPDATE January 2016:This mat has still being working great for me for the last 2.5 years! I use it several days/week and it still looks and functions just as well as the day I bought it! I still use my Yogitoes mat towels over the top of it, and they work great together! If I was in the market for a new mat, I'd buy the same one again in a heartbeat! I don't envision having a need to replace it for at least a decade or more of continued use.